This is intended as a very basic guide that should serve as a supplement to all the other guides already here.
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Want to cosplay your favorite character at a convention, and need to workout to get that right look? I'm here to help! Included in my video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEdnl3_BaiY - are some simple exercises you need almost no equipment for. Remember to set realistic goals - such as allowing enough time in advance to obtain the look you want. Depending on what your goal it could take a few weeks to a few months.

Thinking about starting a weight routine? Find yourself an experienced workout partner to help out. Start slow with low weights and low reps - over time build gradually. Moderately heavy to heavy amounts of lifting should be done every other day to allow time to recover. ("Heavy" depending upon what level of training you are at.) Gradually introduce more protein into your diet from high quality sources. Always try to eat fresh and drink things like water, tea, gatorade, fruit smoothies etc instead of regular sodas.

Need to lose weight? Get out and get movin'! Get any kind of cardio you can fit into your daily routine. Do laundry, some yard work, walk the dog, whatever! Get on the bike, jog, take an aerobics class...The list goes on! Find a friend to go outside and get active with - have fun with it!

Even if you're already in good condition, it may still take time to adjust to a different routine. For example, it took me several months to adjust my routines and obtain the right upper body look for Terry Bogard, even though I had already been into lifting for a while. The major parts of the routine were: Keeping up a solid amount of cardio to ensure that I would look "cut". Doing low weight / high rep weight routines to build just enough well-toned muscle in the right places. Lots of plyometrics and calisthenics (duck walks, bunny hops, pushups etc) to finetune the "martial arts" look. Also, eating plenty of fresh foods, and lean meat.

CAUTION. Always remember to warm up for a minimum of 10 minutes of stretching and light calisthenics before any routine. Skipping rope for at least two minutes after warmups is recommended.

I just saw that the other day on YT, thanks for the advice/tips. To help strengthen for belly dance, there is a lot of lunges and push ups, etc....for strength training, I heard that you start as many reps as you can and than rest for a day and then try to do more.

I just saw that the other day on YT, thanks for the advice/tips. To help strengthen for belly dance, there is a lot of lunges and push ups, etc....for strength training, I heard that you start as many reps as you can and than rest for a day and then try to do more.

For stamina of course you want to just keep building your rep count per set - this also helps tone up. (Low weight, high rep.) For strength you do a moderate to high amount of weight for moderate to low amounts of reps. Here is a good strength building routine, though, that is very challenging - I will be ready to start this within a couple weeks. For advanced fitness peeps only.

The most important things in burning fat are working cardio and toning up your muscles, while keeping up a healthy, nutritious non-starvation diet. Just remember that it is impossible to spot train - when you burn fat you burn it all around, not just from one spot on your body.

thx for the tips and guide.
I'm sure this will help me along the way.
Is there a way to burn stomach (fat) a little more?

Over the past few years I have found that unless you are a triathlete or exercise for more than 3-4 hours a day(body builders), it is quite difficult for the average person to burn off the fat around the abdomen through exercise alone. Although largely dependant on genetics, I have found a good tip I have found with my clients to help speed up fat loss in the abdominal area is to avoid as much of the Starch based carbohydrates as possible. Breads, potatos, pasta, etc. If you must eat from the starch based carbs, choose those the HIGHEST in grains as you can and even then try to limit it.

However, keep in mind your body does need carbohydrates to function properly, so balance this out with extra vegetables and fruit each day.

Try it out for a week or two and see how you go. Just remember balance is key and listen to your body. It knows what it needs.

Note: Alot of people also become bloated very easily from starchy carbohydrates. So reducing intake of these can sometimes reduce how bloated you look and can sometimes remove a few inches very quickly.

Over the past few years I have found that unless you are a triathlete or exercise for more than 3-4 hours a day(body builders), it is quite difficult for the average person to burn off the fat around the abdomen through exercise alone. Although largely dependant on genetics, I have found a good tip I have found with my clients to help speed up fat loss in the abdominal area is to avoid as much of the Starch based carbohydrates as possible. Breads, potatos, pasta, etc. If you must eat from the starch based carbs, choose those the HIGHEST in grains as you can and even then try to limit it.

However, keep in mind your body does need carbohydrates to function properly, so balance this out with extra vegetables and fruit each day.

Try it out for a week or two and see how you go. Just remember balance is key and listen to your body. It knows what it needs.

Note: Alot of people also become bloated very easily from starchy carbohydrates. So reducing intake of these can sometimes reduce how bloated you look and can sometimes remove a few inches very quickly.

If you ever heard of the Atkins or other "low carb" diets, the fundamental is there in which
carbs are cut for increased fat burn is simply an easier way of creating a caloric deficit. From a book about fasting, the best way to describe how fat is burned is simply by two methods: Creating a caloric deficit, or being in a fasted state (when you're not eating for a long period of time, such as when you're sleeping).

When protein and carbs are ingested, the body creates an insulin response to react to the food being ingested. Normally the carbs ingested will cancel out most of the insulin response (because insulin regulates blood sugar), but if protein is mostly ingested, the insulin response is taken care of another hormone (glucagon) which regulates blood sugar production. With little carbs ingested, this deficit is taken care of by producing glucose using the fat from either the food we eat or from the available fat used (beta-oxidation). Not only eating Proteins and Fats create a better means of fullness, but overall you're eating less calories, which creates a caloric deficit. As long as a caloic deficit is achieved, fat burned from the body would be used more from the food consumed, and this achieves fat loss. (Fat does not provide an insulin response).

Although I do agree that they don't need to be cut altogether, but if for an individual with some fat to burn wanted to lose that belly fat, the best way is to cut starchy carbs and increase protein intake to maintain the level of fullness provided by carbs. Starchy carbs don't provide as much satiety as proteins, but whole vegetables, with all that fibre, will give them the provided fullness. The problem lies that if carbs are cut too much and not adding extra protein to compensate for the protein in their carb sources. If an individual's performance in their workouts starts to detriment from the lack of carbs over the week, then a carb refeed would be recommended to replenish muscle glycogen after a workout (no gatorade or sweetened drinks!)